Park City bans setting off your own fireworks, citing danger of wildfires

Park City residents and visitors will have to leave Fourth of July fireworks to the professionals.

The mountain town has declared a ban on open flames and fireworks, effective Thursday night, said Mike McComb, who oversees emergency management for Park City.

The ban doesn’t cover the professional shows at Park City Mountain Resort — July 3 in the Canyons section of the resort and July 4 at the main ski runs.

But that could change if conditions worsen, McComb said.

The ban on private fireworks has been put in place five of the past six years, McComb said. Residents used to complain, he said, but “folks are largely accustomed to it now. People are becoming more aware of the impacts of a fire.”

McComb cited this winter’s lower-than-normal snowpack for creating conditions that raise the odds for wildfires. “Normally, the snows compact the grasses,” McComb said. “When the snow melts early, those grasses tend to stand up, and with the heat and the wind, they just dry out more quickly.”

A new law this year gives Utah municipalities more leeway in banning fireworks over fire hazards. The law also cuts back on the number of days fireworks can be discharged over the July 4 and July 24 holidays, from 14 to eight days. Where they are permitted at all, fireworks may be used from July 2 to July 5, and from July 22 to July 25.

In Salt Lake City, fireworks and open flames are banned east of 900 East (including the University of Utah campus, north of South Temple, in City Creek Canyon, west of Redwood Road, and in all city parks and wildland urban interface areas). The ban includes such neighborhoods as Rose Park, Glendale, the Avenues, Federal Heights, Harvard/Yale and Sugar House.

• Draper, east of 1300 East Street, south of 13800 South Street, west of Interstate 15, and in the area from 12300 South running north along 1000 East Street to the north city boundary, then following the city boundary west to 700 East Street, then south to the UTA TRAX line, then following the TRAX line to 12300 South Street, to be known as the Mehraban Wetlands area.

• Herriman, within 200 feet of any undeveloped property or agricultural field.

• Holladay, east of I-215 including the freeway right-of-way, the Cottonwood Area, the County Road area, Spring Creek, Neff’s Creek and Big Cottonwood Creek, Creekside Park and Olympus Hills Park.

• Kearns, in Oquirrh Park, Mountain Man Park, Kearns High School and along railroad lines.

• Magna, all city parks and undeveloped areas.

• Midvale, undeveloped land west of Main Street, and along Jordan River Parkway.

• Millcreek, east of Wasatch Boulevard, south of 4500 South and east of Farm Meadow Lane, west of 700 West, along Mill Creek between 1300 East, and Honeycut Road (crossing Highland Drive) and north of Skyline High School.

• Murray, along the Jordan River Parkway and Little Cottonwood Creek, in Murray City Park, and at Wheeler Farm.

• Sandy, in city parks, west of I-15, within 200 feet of waterways, trails, canyons, washes, ravines, vacant lots, or where natural or unmaintained vegetation is present — and also in any mountainous, brush-covered, forest-covered or dry grass areas, or within the wildland urban interface areas.

• South Jordan, within 200 feet of the natural vegetation border of the Bingham Creek and Jordan River Parkway open space and trail systems, or within 25 yards of undeveloped wildland.

• Taylorsville, all city parks and undeveloped areas.

• West Jordan, west of State Route 111, in all city parks, and within 200 feet of the Jordan River Parkway Trail (east of 1300 West), the Clay Hollow Wash and Bingham Creek.

• West Valley City, along Jordan River Parkway, along 6400 West from 4700 South to 5400 South, all properties immediately adjacent to ATK, all city parks and properties, and within 100 feet of any irrigation canal.

• Lehi, north of Timpanogos Highway (including Traverse Mountain), along Dry Creek Corridor from 1200 East to Center Street.

• Payson, all incorporated areas of Payson City and everything south and east starting on south Main Street north to 1150 south, east to Payson Canyon Road, north to 800 South, east to 600 East, north to 400 South, east to Goosenest Drive and continuing to Gladstan Golf Course; all of the wildland, canyon, foothill areas, and any lands used for agricultural purposes.

• Provo, east of Canyon Road (from Foothill Drive north), east of Timpview Drive (between Foothill Drive and 2200 North), east of 900 East (between 2200 North and Birch Lane), east of Birch Lane/1200 East (from 900 East to 700 North), east of Seven Peaks Boulevard (from 700 North to Center Street), east of 900 East (from Center Street to 300 South), east of Slate Canyon Drive (from 300 South to 1400 South), and east of South State Street (south of 1320 South); anywhere on BYU campus.

• Spanish Fork, all areas south of the Spanish Fork River from the west end of the Spanish Oaks Golf Course, eastwardly to the city limits; anywhere near the mountainside or within 200 feet of any vacant field or lot.

Davis County

• Centerville, east of 150 East (north of 1825 North), east of Main Street (from 1825 North to 1400 North), east of 325 East and 400 East (from 1400 North to 200 North), east of 600 East (from 200 North to 100 South), east of 700 East (south of 100 South).

• Farmington, in Woodland Park, and east of North Compton (north of 600 North), east of 100 East (between 600 North and State Street), east of 350 East (between State Street and 830 South), and east of 200 East (south of 830 South).

• Fruit Heights, east of Mountain Road, and in Nichols Park.

• Kaysville, an area in the northeast part of the city, north of 900 East and west of Fairfield Road.